norfolkbirding with chris mills
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17th April 2006 Weybourne - Sheringham Cliffs

06:40am - 09:30am Sunny 0/8 cloud light 2-3 SW

Good visible migration

Approximate  totals:-

Reed Bunting 1 west @1000
Yellowhammer 3 west 
Swallow 32 west
Goldfinch 19 west
Linnet 307 west
Sand Martin 38 west
House martin 4 west
Yellow Wagtail 7 west + 3 @ 1000
Wheatear 4 west
Meadow Pipit 80 - west
Goldfinch 43 - west
Greenfinch 200 - west
House Sparrow 1 - west
Collared Dove 1 west
Stock Dove 4 west
Woodpigeon 262 west
Carrion Crow 28 west
Lesser Black-backed Gull 8 west
Whimbrel 4 west
Dunlin 2 west over clifftop fields
Knot  1 west over clifftop fields
Grey Plover 1 west
Little Gull 1west & 1 east

Butterflies
1 Small Tortoishell
1 Peacock


1 Speckled Wood in garden PM
Double click to ed April 2006 continued
18th April 2006 Bintree Woods

17:45pm - 19:00pm overcast 8/8 cloud light W

2 Redpoll, 2 male Brambling, 1 Barn Owl, 50+ Linnet, all the Siskin had gone that were present just 2 weeks ago or so.
Back to first half of April
20th April 2006 Weybourne - Sheringham

17:45pm - 20:00pm overcast 8/8 cloud wet, heavy showers

4 Wheatear, 12 House Martin west, 12 Swallow west, Little Egret 1 west, 2+ Chiff-chaff, 1+ Willow Warbler, 1+ Blackcap
22nd April 2006 Weybourne - Sheringham Cliffs

06:30am - 10:00am sunny, 1/8 cloud light N

Little visible migration

Approximate  totals:-

Common Crane a party of 8 west and well reported all the way long the coastline eventually out over The Wash at Snettisham

Brent Goose 2 east
Bar-t-Godwit 1
Eider 2 east
Red-T-Diver 5 east, 1 west
Common Scoter 68 east & 22 west
Gannet 2 west
Swallow 59 west
Goldfinch 1 west
Linnet 8 west
Greenfinch 1 west
House martin 4 west & 1 east
Yellow Wagtail 5 west
Wheatear 2
Whimbrel 6 east & 2 west

Others:- Ring Ouzel 1 male,


Butterflies
2 Small Tortoishell
1 Peacock


22nd April 2006 Kelling Heath

2 singing Woodlark, 2 Stonechat, 1 Redpoll


22nd April 2006 Sheringham CP

Several Nuthatch around entrance area, also single Marsh Tit, & Siskin

22nd April 2006 Letheringsett Mill

1 Green Sandpiper


Also 1pr of breeding Grey Wagtail within the Glaven Valley area.
(Picture of the Cranes & Ring Ousel digiscoped shot courtesy of  Rob Lee)

23rd April 2006 Sheringham - Weybourne

Excellent visible migration this morning, totals between 0600am - 1100am all west unless stated:-

1,850 Meadow Pipit        50+ Wheatear,
73 Yellow Wagtail,         1 Tree Pipit
1 Ring Ouzel                   150 Swallow
2 House Martin                5 Golden plover
1 White Wagtail              51 Linnet
20 Goldfinch                    53 Sandwich Tern

Others:- 1 singing Corn Bunting, 1 Marsh Harrier east, 2 Whimbrel east & 1 west, 1 Redpoll, 1 Lesser Whitethroat, 9 Whitethroat 2 Stock Dove west, 37 Common Scoter east.

Butterflies:- 2 Small Tortoishell & 1 Peacock
23rd April 2006

Other highlight today was our Emperor moths pupae hatching these were kept over the winter period from eggs laid in our moth trap last year!

See below

26th April 2006 5.20 - 19:30PM -  Sheringham - Weybourne
Cloud 7/8 v.light E


1 Short-eared Owl hunting til dusk, 1 Merlin sat perched in ploughed field and a single Wheatear, 11 Yellow Wagtail west, 20 Swallow west. Cuckoo calling south of the A149 - first of the year.

Others:- 1 Lesser Whitethroat , 6+ Common Whitethroat , 1 Willow Warbler & 6+ Sandwich Terns west.
     
Butterflies:- 1 Small Tortoishell


27th April 2006 4.40 - 5:30PM - Great Massingham & Swanton Morley
Cloud 3/8 light NE


Whilst driving home from a day at work, I suddenly noticed a group of terns overhead along the B1145 between Gayton & Massingham, the car was brought quicly to a halt! Result as 16 Arctic Terns passed overhead - a tight group heading due north.
It now seemed worth dropping in at Swanton Morley GP's, no more Terns but 3 Swift, the first of the year, 250 Sand Martin, 30 House Martin & 20 Swallow.

29th April 2006 1.30 - 4:30PM - Sheringham - Weybourne
Cloud 2/8 light N & cool


Very quiet birdwise, with little visible passerine migration, a late Brambling  still present & 2 singing Lesser Whitethroat, steady westerly passage of Sandwich Tern - passing at 70-80 per hour whilst I was there.

Out of the breeze, it was much warmer and insects were hatching, noted 3 Comma, 2 Peacock. Several hoverflies & many Bee-fly (see pictures below)

















                                  Euopedes Nitens                                                                            Bee-fly


BIRD RACE DAY BY BICYCLE 30th April 2006 3.00am - 9.00PM!!!
Light showers 3-4.30am, then cloudy at dawn with bright sunny spells through most of the day, until 8.30pm when further showers. Wind N until late Pm when swinging to the SE.

For the last 3 years a group of us have undertaken a spring daylist using bicycles, due to other commitments we were forced into this slightly early date.

The car was parked at Docking at 3am,  myself, Oscar Campbell,  & Juliette left in a cold drizzle aboard our bicycles heading for Sandringham, a couple of stops at wooded areas ensured Tawny owl was safely on the list.

We arrived at Sandringham just before dawn, explained our deliberations to the local police, and started birding in earnest!


Sandringham - Wolferton highlights

2 Woodcock, sev Siskin including display song, sev Redpoll, Golden Pheasant, 2 Whimbrel over and a real bonus 2 singing Firecrest.
We did well with most of the woodland stuff, the obvious ommissions being Marsh Tit (in our garden next day!!) & Garden warbler, (only Chris had Bullfinch).

Dersingham Bog

Our route took us past Dersingham bog where the target species of Tree Pipit & Woodlark were added very easily - only species half expected but not seen here was Stonechat.

Snettisham

The birds were added thick and fast here, lots of duck, shorebirds and warbler the pick of the bunch were 2 Pink-footed Goose, 10 Barnacle Goose (sorry their countable and on the list!), 3 Buzzard, 1 Merlin, 5+ Marsh Harrier, 50+ Black-tailed Godwit, 2+ Whimbrel, 3+ Yellow Wags over, a smart male (prob Greenland) Wheatear, 6+ reeling Grasshopper Warbler, 3+ Med Gulls.
Noticeable absentees here Common Tern, Hobby & Stonechat.

Hunstanton cliffs added the predictable Fulmar


Holme

Pochard, Ruddy Duck, 5 Eider, 1 Cuckoo, Swift & a welcome if unseasonable Grey Wagtail flew over - apparently despite checking Redwell scrape we missed a Ring Ousel!

Choseley

Scored with the predictable four species Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Yellowhammer & Turtle Dove.
Also had a nice little flush of 8+ Yellow Wagtail, 4+ Wheatear, 20+ Pied Wags

Titchwell

The day finished at Titchwell, and as always provided us with a little rush of new birds:- Bittern (booming), 3+ Pintail, 500+ Common Scoter offshore, 5+ Ruff, 2+ Snipe, 2 Spotted Redshank, Barn Owl, Bearded Tit and final bird of the day a superb adult Little Gull complete with pink flush to the underparts.

FINAL TOTAL 125 SPECIES